“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God…in whom I will trust” (Ps 18:2).
Asa, “because the Lord had given him rest” (2 Chron 14:6), took advantage of the lull in hostilities. “Therefore he said to Judah, ‘Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God…and He has given us rest on every side’” (v 7). Even in those days, the king understood that the real battle was spiritual. Can we learn something from his security checklist—cities, walls, towers, gates, bars? Oh, and seeking the Lord—especially that! Cities speak of cooperation, and few things are more strengthening than “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). Walls symbolize separation, because the world is a dangerous place! Towers are for observation, and we are told, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls” (Heb 13:17, ESV). Gates are there to provide association, where wise men gave advice and people had access to the world. Of course, when danger is near, gates have to be closed. Only in enemy-free heaven (and God’s provided cities of refuge) can gates be open at all times. Bars are there for fortification, making the people safe and sure. How vital for us to know Whom and what we believe, one of the enemy’s key points of attack. However, with all these precautions taken, God still was their refuge. When “Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them” with overwhelming force, Asa prayed, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go” (2 Chron 14:9, 11). “So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord” (v 13).